Top 5 Clicker Dog Training Myths Examined

When it comes to clicker dog
training, myths abound. For some reason, people find it hard
to believe that something so simple and fun could actually work!
And, not only work--but produce better results than the more
heavy-handed methods most people associate with dog
training.

I
can't counter every objection that someone might conceivably have
in an article like this. But, I've found that most
people who dismiss clicker
training do so out of pre-conceived notions--that dog
training has to be difficult, that pit bulls in particular are hard
to train or from misunderstanding the role of the clicker.

Myth
#1:My dog will become dependent on the clicker and/or the
treats and won't perform without them.

Reality: The clicker and
the treats are training tools--not permanent
props. Like scaffolding that surrounds a building while it's
being built, the use of the
clicker is discarded when it is no longer needed. (The
command has been learned). Treats are tapered to a variable
schedule so that they are only given occasionally. Many
clicker trained dogs compete beautifully in obedience, agility and
other contests in which food treats are not allowed.
Myth #2:Clicker
training only works with "soft" dogs. My dog is too strong
willed to be successfully trained this way.

Reality:
The more strong willed a dog is,
the more likely it is that he will be driven to work hard
for something he wants. In this case, clicker training
becomes a form of psychological juijitsu--redirecting the dog's
energy and drive into positive channels instead of destructive
behavior.

Of all the clicker dog training myths, this next one can be the
trickiest to deconstruct because it's not just a single mistaken
belief. It involves an entire mindset about the dog-owner
relationship. It goes something like this. . .

Myth #3: If I treat my dog for obeying a
command, then she is only performing for the treat, not for me.
I want my dog to obey me because she wants to please me--not
because she is expecting a treat.

Reality:
Whether we realize it or not, we humans do have a tendency to
project a fair amount of our own psychological "stuff" on to our
pets. And, it's not always easy to tease apart our
projections from the dog's reality. My short answer to Myth #3 is:
Don't confuse obedience with love
or a desire to please. Your dog may love you like
crazy--probably does. But, that won't by itself make her an
obedient pet. Obedience training is a learning
exercise--not a test of your dog's devotion.

Myth
#4: I have to punish
my dog when he does something bad so that he knows not to keep
doing it. It teaches him right from wrong.

Reality: Like some other clicker
dog training myths, this one is tangled up in the human version of
reality which doesn't necessarily line up with your dog's version.
Dogs know what they like and
what they don't like--what interests them and what doesn't.
Beyond that, there's no evidence to suggest that dogs understand
concepts like good/bad, right/wrong, should/shouldn't.

What you are most likely teaching
your dog when you yell, swat or jerk on his leash is that you are
unpredictable and kind of scary at times. Whether he
will interpret his prior behavior as the cause of your outburst or
assault, is an iffy proposition. As you will learn if you take up
clicker training in earnest, there are much more
effective and elegant ways to deal with undesirable behavior.

Myth #5: My dog will get fat if I train her
with treats.

Reality: The
treats you will use for clicker training are bite-sized. About the size of a
small piece of kibble. Your not going to give your dog a
whole stick of Pupperoni each time she performs correctly.
Still, it's a good idea to adjust the amount you feed at meal time
to compensate for the treats she received during her training
session that day.